49ers top unit injure49ers DE Clelin Ferrell injured two weeks before NFL playoff opener
San Francisco Sunday field goal Shana 49ers coach Kyle Weekhan 1. Rams win. , but perhaps even more important was shepherding through the crush of your troops in full health. And he almost got there – almost. One concerns the damage done in the 49ers’ 21-20 loss to L.A., a knee injury to defensive end Clelin Ferrell. While Shanahan said it wasn’t an ACL or MCL injury (very good news), he was worried that Ferrell might miss the opening game of the NFL playoffs.
The injuries also come as the 49ers await the return of star running back Arik Armstead, who has plantar fasciitis. Now is not the time to deal with an injury that is one of the strengths of this 49ers team.
“Clelin Ferrell had a knee. No, the ACL, not the MCL, but we’ll find out tomorrow exactly what it is, Shanahan said in the postgame press conference.
While the suspended Ferrell did not miss all of the playoffs, Shanahan acknowledged that Ferrell could miss the opener.
“There’s a chance,” Shanahan said.
That would be a blow to one of the 49ers’ strengths this season. Defensive depth and talent has been a foundation of San Francisco, and Ferrell has been a big part of that.
Clelin Ferrell: Injury won’t take him out
Of course, it’s always dangerous to ask a player about his health, especially when the playoffs are on the line, but 49ers reporters asked Ferrell if he would be ready for the postseason. . To no one’s surprise, his opinion differed from Shanahan’s.
From Matt Barrows of The Athletic, who wrote on Twitter/X: “Just talked to Clelin Ferrell. He said he left the game mostly as a precaution. He said he was optimistic two weeks after playing. He walks in the 49ers locker room without a limp.“
San Francisco radio host Larry Krueger got the same reaction from Ferrell: “Just talked to 49ers DE Clelin Ferrell in the locker room and he said the knee was just a precaution. and if it was the Super Bowl they should have pulled him. We’ll find out tomorrow, but he didn’t seem too worried.“
The 49ers could cover Ferrell’s absence and rely more on starters Nick Bosa and Chase Young now that the postseason is over. But Ferrell has 485 tackles on the season. , via Pro Football Focus, the third most of the equipment among pitchers. Losing Ferrell will likely mean a bigger role for midseason Randy Gregory.
49ers try to maintain NFL playoff mindset
With or without Clelin Ferrell, the 49ers open their NFL playoff bid at home in two weeks. They will face the lowest remaining seed, likely the winner of the Eagles-Buccaneers game, barring an upset of the Packers or Rams.
When Shanahan lost a third down on Sunday, it was necessary to get and maintain a playoff mentality for his 49ers.
“This is really what we’ve been talking about all week. “Playoff mentality, knowing the level we have to play at in a couple of weeks,” Shanahan said. “That’s why it was so important for us to make the most of this week. We had to train like this. We talked about it a lot last night in our team meeting and set the schedule for the week. The boys will have tomorrow off. . But we come here on Tuesday, treat it like it’s Tuesday after the game and get going..
